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Sales staff should understand the value of enquiry management

Home / News / Sales staff should understand the value of enquiry management

Manufacturers and dealerships invest a huge amount on advertising and promotional campaigns to develop sales. There is an incredible level of competition in the market, making every single lead invaluable. Sadly many companies do not manage them effectively and can lose out as a result.

Marketing Delivery, the leading customer relations management company in the automotive industry, recently conducted some research into the matter. They found that from a sample of 63,000 enquiries from buyers looking to purchase new and used vehicles an incredible 64% are lost. This translates to a huge amount of opportunities falling through the fingers of businesses.

A lead is classed as lost when contact with the buyer ceases. Losses can be caused by a number of reasons including a member of the sales team failing to follow-up on contact (enquiry management) or a vehicle not being in stock. The data points to big problems in the performance of staff at businesses and even the processes that are in place. This view is supported by a number of figures in the automotive industry.

One of the biggest issues that were highlighted was a failure by businesses to modernise their automotive recruitment strategy. A number of them focus on traditional skills such as dealing with people face to face. These individuals may not have the training to deal with other kinds of enquiries effectively, whether they are over the phone, via email, or with online chat services. This lack of enquiry management knowledge can cause big losses.

The important thing with any kind of enquiry is a timely response. Taking too long or failing to respond at all results in lost leads. Sales staff should understand how essential it is to keep channels of contact open, even if they are not in a position to finalise a sale instantly due to vehicle availability or any other issue. By communicating effectively businesses can reduce the risk of prospective buyers heading elsewhere.

At John Gibson Associates we understand how far the industry has come and the impact of technology on all kinds of roles. We needed this knowledge to ensure we could adapt and retain our position as the leading company for automotive recruitment in the UK. If you are looking to recruit sales staff with the skills to make the most of the leads they receive we can help you.